Welcome to the Banking Industry

The country has yet again opened its door to another new bank that started operations last week. Prime Bank, a Lebanese Canadian Bank subsidiary is the 12th bank to join the banking industry in The Gambia. Apart from creating employment, Prime Bank will provide loans, as well as local and international business services for Gambia's business sector, particularly at this time when the world is experiencing financial crisis.

The Governor of the Central Bank, Bamba Saho said "Prime Bank is entering the Gambian banking sector at a time of great uncertainty for the world economy" he said that the fact that the bank is investing in the country at this time is a testimony to the stability of the country.

The Gambia though small in size, has over recent years witnessed proliferation not only in the banking industry but across other major business and economic sectors, thanks in no small part to what Governor Saho described as Gambia's economic stability, peace, security in the smiling coast of Africa, called The Gambia.

For us as Gambians we do not place undue regard to religion, tribe, ethnicity, region or political persuasion in our everyday dealings and perhaps this is why the entire world is today looking at us as a safe heaven, not only to do business but to stay and live.

In the words of the Chairman and General Manager of the Lebanese Canadian Bank Mr. Georges E. Zard Abdou Jaoude, "Our presence in The Gambia has not come by coincidence but rather by conviction in the economic future of the Gambia's vision by H.E. Sheikh Professor Alhagie Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh.

As we welcome Prime Bank into business, we hope that the bank will not only aim at making profit but to plough back some of those profits into social services like health, education, agriculture and sports, just to mention a few.